<img alt="Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y_pWTnzsLliftsfBvkINPaK7yOs=/0x0:8149x5433/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73501458/2164849652.0.jpg">
Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
The Braves missed out on an opportunity to put even more pressure on the Phillies. You can’t really assume anything in baseball. Even the best teams lose to the worst at times, but it is hard to come away not feeling a little disappointed with the Atlanta Braves after a series split with the Miami Marlins. Sure, the Marlins have a winning record in the second half, but after selling off virtually anyone with value at the Trade Deadline, a split fells like a missed opportunity.
The Braves entered Sunday 5.0 games back of the Phillies. Saturday’s loss prevented them from closing to within four. Atlanta and Philadelphia will play each over seven more times over the next two months so the NL East race isn’t over. Division race aside, where this loss hurts is in the Wild Card standings. Atlanta is now just a half game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres for the first Wild Card spot. The Mets and Cardinals are on the outside looking in but are both within 2.5 games. The Wild Card race is so wide open that anytime you lose, someone is making up ground.
Max Fried rusty in return
Max Fried wasn’t sharp in his return to the mound but it sure was good to see him out there pitching. While the command was lacking, the velocity and movement on his pitches was there. Still, he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and tied his career-high with five walks. That was Fried’s second-shortest start of the season and snapped a four-start streak where he had completed at least six innings. All indications were that he came out of his start feeling well, which is huge for the big picture.
The Braves elected not to place Reynaldo López on the Injured List, but he won’t pitch in any of the three games coming up against the Brewers. Atlanta will send out Chris Sale, Charlie Morton and Spencer Schwellenbach for the three-game series, meaning that the soonest we will see Lopez is over the weekend.
Home Shutout
Sunday’s 7-0 loss was the first time the Braves had been shutout in a regular season game at home since August 28, 2021. That is a stretch of 231 games with was the third-longest streak in the Modern Era. The Rockies went 336 games between shutouts at Coors Field from 1999-2003. The New York Yankees went 233 games without a shoutout at Yankee Stadium from 1930-33.
Homer streak ends
Sunday’s loss also snapped the Braves’ nine-game streak with at least one home run, which was their longest streak of the season. Atlanta homered 23 times during that nine-game stretch. The Braves currently rank seventh in the majors with 138 home runs.
Austin Riley stays hot
Austin Riley accounted for three of Atlanta’s six hits in Sunday’s game. That was his sixth career three-hit game and second in his past six games. He recorded a season-high four hits in last Tuesday’s game in Milwaukee. Riley is 10-for-25 with a homer, two doubles and five RBI in his last six games.
<img alt="Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y_pWTnzsLliftsfBvkINPaK7yOs=/0x0:8149x5433/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73501458/2164849652.0.jpg">
Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images
The Braves missed out on an opportunity to put even more pressure on the Phillies. You can’t really assume anything in baseball. Even the best teams lose to the worst at times, but it is hard to come away not feeling a little disappointed with the Atlanta Braves after a series split with the Miami Marlins. Sure, the Marlins have a winning record in the second half, but after selling off virtually anyone with value at the Trade Deadline, a split fells like a missed opportunity.
The Braves entered Sunday 5.0 games back of the Phillies. Saturday’s loss prevented them from closing to within four. Atlanta and Philadelphia will play each over seven more times over the next two months so the NL East race isn’t over. Division race aside, where this loss hurts is in the Wild Card standings. Atlanta is now just a half game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres for the first Wild Card spot. The Mets and Cardinals are on the outside looking in but are both within 2.5 games. The Wild Card race is so wide open that anytime you lose, someone is making up ground.
Max Fried rusty in return
Max Fried wasn’t sharp in his return to the mound but it sure was good to see him out there pitching. While the command was lacking, the velocity and movement on his pitches was there. Still, he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and tied his career-high with five walks. That was Fried’s second-shortest start of the season and snapped a four-start streak where he had completed at least six innings. All indications were that he came out of his start feeling well, which is huge for the big picture.
The Braves elected not to place Reynaldo López on the Injured List, but he won’t pitch in any of the three games coming up against the Brewers. Atlanta will send out Chris Sale, Charlie Morton and Spencer Schwellenbach for the three-game series, meaning that the soonest we will see Lopez is over the weekend.
Home Shutout
Sunday’s 7-0 loss was the first time the Braves had been shutout in a regular season game at home since August 28, 2021. That is a stretch of 231 games with was the third-longest streak in the Modern Era. The Rockies went 336 games between shutouts at Coors Field from 1999-2003. The New York Yankees went 233 games without a shoutout at Yankee Stadium from 1930-33.
Homer streak ends
Sunday’s loss also snapped the Braves’ nine-game streak with at least one home run, which was their longest streak of the season. Atlanta homered 23 times during that nine-game stretch. The Braves currently rank seventh in the majors with 138 home runs.
Austin Riley stays hot
Austin Riley accounted for three of Atlanta’s six hits in Sunday’s game. That was his sixth career three-hit game and second in his past six games. He recorded a season-high four hits in last Tuesday’s game in Milwaukee. Riley is 10-for-25 with a homer, two doubles and five RBI in his last six games.
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